Compensation for Transmission Line Length Variation in a Serdes System

1. A method of signal compensation in a SERDES communication system comprising: a) monitoring an eye quality of a data signal after passing through a transmission channel with a received eye quality monitoring algorithm; b) compensating for channel length variations of the transmission channel by the steps of i) adjusting a length of transmission line delay of the data signal from the transmission channel based on eye characteristics from the received eye quality monitoring algorithm; ii) comparing the data signal eye quality with a threshold for the adjusted data signal; and iii) repeating steps i) and ii) until the data signal eye quality meets the threshold.

2. The invention as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step b 1) adjusts the length of transmission line delay by the step of configuring switches adapted to provide intermediate tap points between a plurality of transmission line segments, each transmission line segment providing a corresponding portion of the length of transmission line delay.

3. The invention as recited in claim 2 , wherein the length of transmission line delay is substantially equal to a fraction of the baud period of a serial data rate of the SERDES communication system.

4. The invention as recited in claim 1 , wherein the eye quality of the data signal is monitored by obtaining a plurality of samples of said data signal for each unit interval based on a clock recovered from said data signal.

5. The invention of claim 4 , wherein said obtaining step is performed substantially simultaneous to a decoding of said data signal.

6. The invention of claim 4 , wherein said obtaining step further comprises the steps of sampling said received signal using a plurality of latches and estimating a value of said received signal by comparing values of said latches.

7. The invention of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of latches are clocked using said clock recovered from said received signal.

8. The invention of claim 4 , wherein said obtaining step further comprises the steps of sampling said received signal using a sample and hold circuit to obtain a plurality of values of said received signal.

9. An apparatus for compensating for transmission channel length variations in a SERDES communication system, comprising: a) a plurality of transmission line segments; b) a plurality of switches adapted to provide intermediate tap points between each of the plurality of transmission line segments; c) a plurality of switches adapted to disconnect non-selected transmission line segments from the selected transmission line segments and the selected intermediate tap point; and d) an eye monitor feedback circuit adapted to implement a received eye quality monitoring algorithm and used to monitor an eye quality of a data signal of received data, wherein each of the plurality of selectable transmission line segments introduces a corresponding delay in a transmission path of the received data.

10. The invention as recited in claim 9 , wherein one or more of the plurality of switches are digitally controlled.

11. The invention of claim 9 , wherein the eye monitor feedback circuit for monitoring the data signal is a circuit comprising: a plurality of latches for obtaining a plurality of samples of said data signal for each unit interval based on a clock recovered from said received signal.

12. The invention of claim 9 , wherein the eye monitor feedback circuit for monitoring the data signal is a circuit comprising: a sample and hold circuit for obtaining a plurality of samples of said received signal for each unit interval based on a clock recovered from said received signal.

13. The invention as recited in claim 9 wherein a total delay introduced by the plurality of transmission line segments is substantially equal to a fraction of the baud period of a serial data rate of the SERDES communication system.

14. The invention as recited in claim 9 , wherein the transmission line segments are substantially equal in length to one another.

15. The invention as recited in claim 9 , wherein elements of the plurality of transmission line segments are arranged in a rectangular pattern to reduce physical distance between each of the plurality of tap points and an input terminal of a receiver.

16. The invention as recited in claim 9 , wherein elements of the plurality of transmission line segments are arranged in a circular pattern to reduce physical distance between each of the plurality of tap points and an input terminal of a receiver.

17. The invention as recited in claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is embodied in an integrated circuit of a SERDES receiver.

18. A machine-readable medium, having encoded thereon program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method for signal compensation in a SERDES communication system, comprising the steps of: a) monitoring an eye quality of a data signal after passing through a transmission channel with a received eye quality monitoring algorithm; b) compensating for channel length variations of the transmission channel by the steps of i) adjusting a length of transmission line delay of the data signal from the transmission channel based on eye characteristics from the received eye quality monitoring algorithm; ii) comparing the data signal eye quality with a threshold for the adjusted data signal; and iii) repeating steps i) and ii) until the data signal eye quality meets the threshold.

19. The invention as recited in claim 18 , wherein the step b 1) adjusts the length of transmission line delay by the step of configuring switches adapted to provide intermediate tap points between a plurality of transmission line segments, each transmission line segment providing a corresponding portion of the length of transmission line delay.

20. The invention as recited in claim 19 , wherein the length of transmission line delay is substantially equal to a fraction of the baud period of a serial data rate of the SERDES communication system.